1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storage unit, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a storage unit for being portable, towable, liftable, rackable, and weatherproof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Due to the cost associated with shipping goods not only locally but long distance, including internationally, and due to the need to standardize the manner in which freight is warehoused or shipped, many goods are transported in large metallic shipping containers. The shipping containers are conventionally loaded and unloaded with respect to a transport vehicle by the use of forklifts or cranes which raise and lower the containers relative to the supporting deck or bed of the transporting vehicle.
It is well known in the cargo container art that for convenience of loading a container and strength of mounting, doors for the container are located and form a rear wall surface of the container in use. The cargo container itself is constructed of a rectangular framework supporting a top, bottom, side walls, and a front wall, and the doors are pivotally mounted on elongate posts located at each corner at the rear of the container to define part of the rear wall. The two opposed rear corner posts extend in a vertical direction and are provided at each of the opposed ends thereof, respectively, with a standard ISO corner casting for attaching the container to lifting equipment or for stacking the container relative to other containers one upon the other. It is usual with such cargo containers to load them with pallets containing the articles to be transported.
Moving into an open position the doors are swung completely outside the door frame opening as defined between the top rail, bottom rail and corner posts interconnecting the top and bottom rails. Each door has a seal around its outermost edge. Shipping systems have been developed which allow shipping containers to be unloaded from the transporting vehicle at a point of delivery or at a point of loading until the container is ready for further shipment.
Numerous innovations for storage unit and related devices have been provided in the prior art that will be discussed infra. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they each differ in structure and/or operation and/or purpose from the present invention.
FOR EXAMPLE, U.S. Patent Publication Number 2003/0089742 to Fons teaches a bin of corrosion-resistant material fitted inside a steel container. The bin is fastened to the container walls. The side walls and the top wall of the bin are substantially identical in shape to those of the steel container. The container is intended for the transport of bulk goods, especially plastics particle material, the contamination of this material by steel particles, which have come loose as a result of corrosion, being prevented.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,599,824 to Pneuman teaches a coupling device for interconnecting cargo containers having pairs of spaced oppositely disposed lugs thereon. The coupling device is interengaged with and between the lugs of the containers, and is particularly adapted for rigidly interconnecting a pair of spaced mutually aligned modular USASI/ISO or similar cargo containers having standard hallow slotted fittings in the opposing corners thereof, in which case such device is interposed between each pair of opposing corner fittings and interengaged with and between opposing edge portions of the slotted end openings in the fittings.
STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,718,218 to Shields teaches a horizontal connection between at least two adjacent stacks of vertically stacked cargo containers having means between the containers in each stack positioning, aligning and interlocking such containers. A horizontal stack interlock member is disposed on top of at least one container in each stack at like stack elevations and is releasably secured to its supporting container. The interlocking member is rotatable about a vertical axis through a limited arc and includes at least one protrusion for horizontal alignment with the protrusion in the interlocking member on the adjacent container stack. A rigid toothed rack between the two members engages the protrusions and thereby horizontally interlocks the containers in the adjacent stacks. By rotating the interlocking members through the vertical axes, the toothed rack can be released from the protrusions to break the connection between the stacks.
YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,737,061 to Glumac teaches a truck trailer body having liftable features and a removable storage unit for transport thereby.
STILL YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,144 to Ross et al. teaches a trailer having a rear central guide post and primary rear load carrying wheels which can be elevated to transfer ground contact to caster wheels and lower the trailer bed so that the trailer can be readily maneuvered while the trailer is backed on the caster wheels to assist in properly aligning the trailer beneath a leg-mounted pallet frame for containers having a center guide slot for receiving the guide post, whereupon the primary wheels are lowered to lift the pallet frame free of the ground for transport on the trailer.
YET STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,900 to Rynyk teaches a material handling apparatus, for example, for delivering bags of garbage to an incinerator. The apparatus includes a plurality of material-receiving compartments, each having a first end at which material can be loaded into the compartment, and a second end from which material can be discharged. Each compartment includes a belt conveyor which forms a bottom wall of the compartment and which is operable to move material longitudinally of the compartment in a direction towards said second end. Side walls of the compartment extend upwardly adjacent respective opposite sides of the conveyor for laterally constraining material in the compartment. The compartment also includes closure means normally preventing discharge of material from the second end of the compartment, the closure means being adapted to be opened at appropriate times to allow material to be discharged from the compartment by operating the belt conveyor. The apparatus also includes a further belt conveyor positioned to receive material discharged from the compartments and operable to deliver the material to a common discharge location.
STILL YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,504 to Wiseman et al. teaches an aircraft cargo container having sides, inboard and outboard ends, a horizontal top and a horizontal bottom. The bottom is rectangular and provided with casters located in corner recesses. The inboard end and both sides of the container are substantially vertical, while the outboard end substantially conforms to the curvature of the aircraft fuselage cabin cross section. The inboard and outboard ends are so sized that the container will freely pass through a standard left side passenger entry door. The sides are so dimensioned that when two containers are located end-to-end with their inboard ends opposed, they will substantially fill the aircraft fuselage cabin cross section with clearance between themselves and between themselves and the aircraft fuselage, so that a plurality of containers can be arranged within the aircraft in two longitudinal rows, the containers of each row having adjacent sides opposed. Each container has a door in one of its sides. The container bottom provides flanges along the container ends cooperating with side guide rails and a center guide rail assembly mounted in the aircraft. The container bottom also provides flanges along the container sides, engageable by fore and aft restraints.
YET STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,595 to Van Valkenburg teaches a storage enclosure provided for storing containers of hazardous material with a secondary containment feature being provided by a one piece containment pan cradled within a support base frame work of support beams and side beams which also allow for visual inspection of the underside of the pan. The enclosure is of a very sturdy construction employing relatively heavy gauge steel sheets for side and rear wall panels mounted to panel supporting frames of tubular steel frame members. A pair of front doors are also made of steel panels secured to door frames of tubular steel construction. Footing channel members provide spaces for forklift mobility of the enclosure. The one piece panel roof and associated frame is secured by a friction fit to the enclosure side walls so that it may lift off when elevated internal pressures are experienced.
STILL YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,722 to Podd teaches a bulkhead for use with a cargo container, and comprising a wall member and at least a first slanted corner member. The wall member holds a cargo in the container, and the corner member is connected to the wall member adjacent a lower corner thereof to guide cargo downwardly and laterally toward an outlet in the wall member. Also disclosed is a lining system for a cargo container, and comprising a flexible liner and a bulkhead to hold the liner in place in the container. The liner includes an inlet and an outlet, and collapsible inlet and outlet chutes are provided to selectively open and close the inlet and outlet of the liner. With one embodiment the lining system is air and water tight; and with an alternate embodiment, the liner allows gases to pass outward through the liner.
YET STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,401,983 to McDonald et al. teaches a bulk cargo container for storing, transporting or processing solid or liquid bulk materials. The bulk cargo container includes a vessel suitable for containing the bulk material and a supporting frame assembly having a generally horizontally disposed support member attachment. In an exemplary embodiment, the vessel is formed of fiber reinforced plastic material and includes a container portion and a support member. The container portion is formed into at least one hopper having a discharge opening therein suitable for discharging bulk material contained within the vessel. The vessel is supported from the support member attachment via the support member so that the weight of the bulk material is carried in tension by the fiber reinforced plastic material of the vessels shell.
STILL YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,209 to Hurst teaches a roll up door for trucks and the like that comprises a one piece plastic sheet member which encloses the door opening. A plurality of stiffening panels are attached to the sheet member in spaced relation and preferably bonded to the sheet member. Rollers and attached axles are mounted on the panels via bores which receive the axles. The rollers ride in roll up door tracks which capture the rollers and door to the tracks in conventional fashion. The sheet member forms living hinges in the spaces between adjacent panels.
It is apparent that numerous innovations for storage unit and related devices have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.